Hypothesis
by fickleminder
Summary: "Hello and, again, welcome to the Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment center. We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one." Portal!AU. Hijack.
1. Arc 1 - Chapter 1: Initializing

**Author's Note**: It's been a while since I last played Portal/Portal 2, so this is me testing (no pun intended) the waters, so to speak. I already have the whole storyline and concept outlined, so it's just a matter of fleshing them out and finding a way to put them into words, hopefully without butchering the respective fandoms and inciting readers' unholy wrath.

I thought I'd skip this, but just in case: for those of you who are unfamiliar with the game, do let me know if you'd like me to put up a short explanation on the background in future notes (in the event that people actually want to read more of this thing). Otherwise, I'll assume that you're perfectly fine with doing some independent research about the Portal universe on your own if you're interested/confused. With that said, you can also shoot me questions if you have any and I'll do my best to answer them here.

Right then, here goes nothing.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

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**Hypothesis**

Chapter 1: Initializing

The first thing his slowly awakening mind began to register was that stupid music.

It was muffled at first, but still no less irritating to his ears especially since it was all he could focus on in the midst of all the darkness. He groaned in annoyance and opened his eyes, allowing light to flood his vision before his pupils adjusted to the brightness of his surroundings. Something slid open above him and the air suddenly smelled a little fresher as he was released from whatever he had been sleeping in. Pushing himself upright, he shook his head, trying to clear the feeling of grogginess from his mind before taking a moment to observe his surroundings.

He was sitting in a pod of sorts, which was placed in a corner of a white cube-like containment unit with translucent walls. There was a waste receptacle and a small table just across the tiny room at the side. Squinting, he tried to make out what was beyond the walls which held him, seeing a few security cameras and a giant red button on the ground in the distance. To his left, on one of the sides of the cube, there was a sealed door with a timer above it, the numbers running down from just under a minute.

The blasted music was still playing. It sounded like something from a bad TV commercial and it was really starting to get on his nerves. Identifying its source as the semi-circular radio resting on the table, he hopped out of the pod and made his way over, stumbling slightly on wobbly, unused legs as he snatched up the device and turned it around, looking for an off switch. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a brown cup and a clipboard which were also placed on the table. Suddenly feeling thirsty, he tossed the radio carelessly over his shoulder and picked up the cup, frowning in disappointment to find it as dry as his parched throat.

Setting it down with a sigh, he reached for the clipboard instead, hoping to glean some useful information from it, like what was going on, who he was, where he was, and maybe why there didn't seem to be anyone else around. The writing on the paper was smudged and blurred, but he could still make out a few words…

_JACK-N OV-L-D FROST_

"Jack… Frost," he murmured to himself, testing his salvaged name. At the top right corner of the page, there was a picture of a mischievous-looking boy with snow white hair and ice blue eyes, a hint of a smirk splashed across his lips. Curious to find out more about himself, he read on.

_- - …exposure to cryogenic conditions… - - …heightened sensitivity to –_

**:: Hello and, again, welcome to the Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment center. ::**

He jumped at the loud voice, causing the clipboard to clatter to the ground as he dropped it in shock.

**:: We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one. ::**

Whirling around, his wide eyes scanned the room frantically for the speaker. There was no one around, so who was talking to him?

**:: Your specimen has been processed and we are now ready to begin the test proper. ::**

The voice was flat and robotic, but it definitely sounded female. He could not pinpoint the exact location from which she was speaking. Her words seemed to come from all around him, echoing throughout the empty room. And what was that about tests?

**:: Before we start, however, keep in mind that although fun and learning are the primary goals of all enrichment center activities, serious injuries may occur. ::**

His confused mind latched on to several keywords as he tried to process the stream of information being fed to him. Fun was good, he thought. Serious injuries? Not so much. What was happening?

**:: For your own safety and the safety of others, please refrain from – [bzzzzzt] – stand back. The portal will open in three, two, one. ::**

An orange hole suddenly opened up in the middle of the sealed door and he jerked back in surprise, faintly noticing the timer above it sitting at zero. He looked around, waiting to see if the mysterious voice would tell him more, but there was no other noise except for that stupid music still blaring from the radio. To his right, outside the cube, he spotted a similar blue hole in one of the grey walls. The voice said that the holes were portals, but portals to where? Curious, he peeked into the orange hole, hoping to get a glimpse of the destination.

His heart nearly leapt out of his throat when he saw himself on the other side, dressed in a light blue jumpsuit with some sort of strange contraption strapped to the bottom half of his legs from the knee down. His doppelganger was standing inside a room which looked eerily like the one he was in now. He whipped his head to the right and the same sight greeted him through the blue portal. Understanding began to dawn in his mind and he cautiously reached forward to put a hand through the orange hole, confirming his theory when he saw that same hand sticking out of the blue one.

With an excited grin, he hopped into the orange portal, eager to get out and explore.

On the other side, he took a moment to appreciate the now empty containment unit in front of him, noting the large sign on his right displaying the numbers "00" along with a few square diagrams below it. There was really only one way to go, he thought as he looked around and tried to figure out which direction he should be heading towards. He wandered over to the adjacent room where he had seen the big red button on the floor. Across the room, there was another sealed door with a picture of a cross in a blue square next to it and a trail of blue dots leading from the button to the picture. There was also a cube-like object inside a large cylinder that was sticking out of the ceiling in the left corner next to the door.

Not seeing anywhere else to go, he gingerly stepped on the button, jumping slightly when the sealed door opened with a hiss. He started to run for the exit, but the doors slammed shut the moment his feet left the button. It was then that the cylinder's lower end opened up to release the cube, dropping it to the ground with a metallic clang before closing again.

The answer to the puzzle clicked in his mind and he made his way over to retrieve the cube. The grey object was about twice the size of his head, but its weight suggested that it was composed of certain alloys which made it light enough to carry, yet heavy enough to provide sufficient weight. He picked up the cube and deposited it on the button. As he had expected, the doors whooshed open and the picture next to it changed into a check in an orange square.

**:: Excellent. Please proceed into the chamberlock after completing each test. ::**

He beamed at the unexpected praise, glad to hear the robotic voice again. It meant that he wasn't alone in the room after all, someone was watching out for him. And if this had been a test, it was a pretty easy one, he thought smugly as he stepped through the door and walked towards the open lift at the end of the hallway.

**:: First, however, note the incandescent particle field across the exit. This Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grill will vaporize any unauthorized equipment that passes through it – for instance, the Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube. ::**

Don't take anything out, got it. The particle field sent a shiver running through his body as he walked through it, giving him the sensation of a harmlessly mild electric shock. He shook it off easily and stepped into the lift. The doors swiftly slid shut and the platform began to shake violently, causing him to stumble slightly before the ride smoothed out and the lights darkened. He could not tell whether he was being taken up or down, the only indication of the lift's motion being the irregular flashes of light seeping through the sealed metallic doors.

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**Author's Note**: I hope I wasn't being overly descriptive in this chapter, though it will definitely tone down as we get into the plot (or something that attempts to resemble one). I'm sort of experimenting (testing!) with a different style of writing here, so please bear with me.

Shall I continue, or…?


	2. Arc 1 - Chapter 2: Meeting

**Author's Note**: Given the wide variety of Hijack AUs on Tumblr (Tarzan, Anastasia, Corpse Bride, etc.), I'm glad you guys find this interesting enough to read. Thank you very much for your reviews, favorites and follows. They make me so happy :)

Anyway, thought I'd mention this: Hypothesis follows the single-player campaign of Portal/Portal 2 with some elements taken from the co-op campaign. Of course, certain things will be tweaked to accommodate the crossover, but otherwise I hope to do the respective fandoms justice. Still, please do let me know if you feel I'm taking too many liberties or making things too OOC. I'd hate to disappoint.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

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**Hypothesis**

Chapter 2: Meeting

**::**** Today, you will be testing with a partner. ::**

Jolted roughly when the lift came to an abrupt stop, he let out a startled yelp when the floor suddenly opened up beneath him and dropped him onto another platform below. Picking himself up with a grunt, he palmed the clear glass walls surrounding him, finding himself trapped in a tall cylindrical tube. Before full-blown panic could set in however, a tapping noise to his right caught his attention and he turned his head to the side to find another test subject in the tube next to his, smiling excitedly.

**:: Please wave to your partner. ::**

The white-haired boy waved at him cheerily, flashing his teeth in a wide grin. He raised his own hand to mimic the action (admittedly with less enthusiasm) and managed a weak half-smile back. The smile turned into shocked gasp when the floor opened up beneath them again, sending them both to the next platform below.

While he wobbled slightly in an attempt to regain his bearings, the other test subject seemed unfazed by the sudden drop, landing on sturdy feet and laughing silently in anticipation of the next instruction.

**:: The upcoming tests require you to work together as a team. To facilitate collaboration, both of you have been equipped with a laser tool. ::**

Green light flashed somewhere near his left wrist and he glanced down to find a small laser pen mounted onto the side of the cylinder. He picked it up carefully, examining the device with curious eyes.

**:: Green, please use your laser tool to select your favorite animal. ::**

Several panels flipped open outside the tubes in front of him, revealing a three-by-three grid containing the silhouettes of nine different animals. If the color of their jumpsuits were anything to go by, he guessed that he was the one being addressed. Pressing the button on the non-operational end of the laser pen, a narrow beam of green light shot out and he aimed it towards the shadow of a snake in the middle of the grid.

**:: Good. Blue, please observe your partner's favorite animal. ::**

Ice blue eyes focused on the selected panel before flicking back to him and sending him a wink, as if conveying a quick note of appreciation towards his choice. He barely had time to respond before the floor yawned open again, dropping them onto the next platform.

**:: Good. Blue, please use your laser tool to select your favorite element from the periodic table. ::**

The panels flipped open once more, this time displaying nine different elemental symbols. He watched as the other test subject activated his own laser pen and cast a blue light on the top right panel, circling the selected symbol enthusiastically.

**:: Really? Okay. Green, please observe your partner's… interesting choice. ::**

Hydrogen, atomic number 1 and mass 1.008. Nothing special, but he gave his partner a half-hearted thumbs up in acknowledgement nevertheless. The floor opened up one last time, depositing them at the start of a test track.

**:: Your laser tool can also be used to indicate to your partner where you would like them to place their portal. ::**

He followed the corridor down towards the next area, finding himself in a larger room with a white handheld device mounted on a holder at the far end. There was a large gap in the middle of the room, splitting the area in half with the holder located on the other side. It was too far to even consider jumping across, he thought as he peered over cautiously. One look immediately told him that the pit was too deep to climb out of if he fell in. He shrank back warily, stepping well away from the edge.

Looking over to his left, in a room almost identical to his but separated by a thick glass wall, he noticed the white-haired teen facing the same problem.

**:: For the sake of this test, I will pretend to be your partner. Using your laser tool, please indicate where you would like me to place your two portals. ::**

A quick look around the room was all he needed to determine where would be a suitable entrance and exit. He shined his green laser on the white wall next to him before redirecting the beam towards the slanted panel hanging somewhere above the platform where the device holder was situated. Almost immediately, two green portals appeared at the indicated locations.

He jogged towards the portal on his right and jumped in, bracing himself for impact as he fell through the other portal and landed on the platform. Dusting himself off, he plucked the handheld device from its holder, causing the mechanical arm to lower itself into the open hole in the platform and disappear.

Turning the portal gun over in his hands to get a good look at it, he tried to figure out its mechanics as he located the dual triggers on the grip, hidden beneath the white shell protecting the device. There were three claw-like appendages protruding from the body of the long black barrel pointing forward, and the operational end of the portal gun glowed a faint green.

**:: Green is first to acquire a Portal Device. ::**

A whoop of success sounded from somewhere behind him and he peeked over his shoulder to see his partner leaping out of his own blue portal, landing on the platform in the other room to retrieve his portal gun.

**:: Blue now has a Portal Device. Finally. ::**

Smiling, he caught the white-haired teen's eye and sent him a congratulatory thumbs up, receiving another brilliant grin and a wink in reply.

**:: Each portal gun may create two self-contained portals. Please test your device by portaling to that ledge. ::**

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, he continued down the next corridor, firing his two green portals where needed to get himself up onto the higher levels of the room.

Despite operating on seemingly different test tracks, it soon became clear that they had to work together in order to reach the end. The whole place was connected somehow and they ran parallel to each other, stepping on giant red buttons individually to allow the other passage into the next section. There were areas where they had to fire portals into each other's room, accessing surfaces where their partner could not reach on their own. Other parts involved pressing small red buttons mounted on stands to release grey metallic cubes on the other side, where their partner could pick them up to place on more giant buttons and open sealed doors.

After what felt like hours of running and signalling to each other using lasers and hand gestures, they finally raced across adjacent platforms to arrive at the common exit. Panting hard from the exercise, he spotted the familiar particle field through the door leading up to the lift which would take them to the next test chamber.

**:: Excellent work. Please proceed to the chamberlock. Mind the gap. ::**

"Hi! I'm Jack," the white-haired teen introduced himself cheerfully, transferring his portal gun to his left hand before offering him his right.

"My name's Hiccup," he replied politely after catching his breath, reaching out to shake his hand with a small smile.

Jack grinned at him and let go, stepping back to gesture at the exit. "Come on, partner! Ready for the next test?" he asked, a challenging glint in his eyes.

Hiccup smirked in response and dashed past him without warning, eliciting a surprised "hey!" before he heard excited footsteps chasing him into the lift. The metallic doors sealed shut with a whoosh after Jack tackled him inside, laughing with glee.

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**Author's Note**: Blue is Jack and Green is Hiccup, if you haven't already figured that out. The color of their jumpsuits and portals also correspond to their test subject names. You can assume Hiccup was woken up in the same manner as Jack. I just switched the POV around when it came to the co-op stage here.

Details about the test chambers will tone down significantly from here onwards. If anyone has any comments/suggestions for improvement, I'm all ears :)


	3. Arc 1 - Chapter 3: Calibrating

**Author's Note**: A short chapter, this is. Not much plot progress, but I promise the next one will contain an interesting episode.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

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**Hypothesis**

Chapter 3: Calibrating

**:: Excellent. You're both doing very well. ::**

Hiccup and Jack shared identical grins as they raced each other down the grey corridors towards the next lift, using the platform railings at the sides and jumping down stairs to give themselves a boost of speed. It was a tie this time around with both of them slamming their palms against the back wall of the lift simultaneously, laughing breathlessly as the thick metallic doors slid close behind them.

**:: Please be careful. ::**

As the tests went on, they were quick to realize that there was a lot of coordination and teamwork needed for progress and eventual success. Judging by the way the test chambers had been built so far, they knew that they had to capitalize on each other's strengths if they wanted to complete each test.

**:: The Enrichment Center is committed to the well-being of all participants. ::**

Jack was fast and agile, able to jump through portals and land nimbly on his feet without breaking a sweat. His athletic abilities allowed him to climb ledges quickly and reach difficult areas easily, helping them to map out the test chambers and locate the buttons and switches that needed to be activated. He was also rash and reckless at times however, often finding himself stuck at a dead end where the doors were still sealed. Whenever that happened, Hiccup would redirect him with his green laser, pointing him towards a switch he had missed, indicating where he should fire his blue portals, or simply use his own green portals to provide him with an exit on his end, chuckling lightly when the white-haired test subject would emerge and greet him with a sheepish smile.

**:: Once again, excellent work. ::**

Hiccup, on the other hand, preferred to analyze each section carefully before proceeding, planning a route through the obstacle-filled room before shooting portals to travel through. He was sharp, quick to find the path to the next area, and he would use his laser to direct his partner towards certain locations, pointing him towards buttons that needed to be pressed at certain times, helping them to coordinate their actions when timing became crucial to completing the current test. Despite his speed at solving the puzzles, he moved slower and more hesitantly, his physical capabilities not as developed as the other test subject's. But Jack would always wait patiently for him to finish, giving him an encouraging smile and no few helping hands up when they came across a particularly high ledge or so.

**:: As part of a previously mentioned test protocol, we can no longer lie to you. When the testing is over, you will be missed. ::**

They chatted and laughed as they did the tests, learning more about what little the other knew about himself. It was tiring at times, running around and solving puzzles seemingly endlessly, but they had each other for company at least. Hiccup suspected that there was some sort of chemical agent in the air, supplying their systems with adrenaline and suppressing their body's need for food and water. How else could they have gone on for as long as they did without rest? And speaking of which, how long had they been testing since they were woken up in the relaxation vault?

**:: Very impressive. Please note that any appearance of danger is merely a device to enhance your testing experience. ::**

Something was wrong. Hiccup couldn't put a finger on it, but something in his mind was nagging at him about the whole operation, alerting him to the fact that something just didn't feel right. He had shared his thoughts with Jack, slightly worried about the bigger picture in this game of tests they were playing with no foreseeable end. But the other test subject had shrugged it off, assuring him that everything was fine. After all, other than redirecting live lasers and plasma balls, there was no real danger in the test chambers. Besides, Jack had argued, the tests were fun and they were completely safe, just like the mysterious person had told them countless times.

**:: Cake and grief counselling will be available at the conclusion of the test. ::**

Hiccup still wasn't entirely convinced. They didn't know where they were, they didn't even have a name to put to the robotic female voice that spoke to them every now and then. Not to mention that some of the things she said were just downright creepy, sending chills down his spine when she talked. Things clearly weren't as they seemed. There had to be a reason why they were there and he hoped that whatever it was, it would not come back later to haunt them.

**:: Thank you for helping us help you help us all. ::**

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**Author's Note**: Sorry about the time jumps/scene skips. If they make the chapter hard to follow or just generally cause confusion, please do let me know. Thank you for reading!


	4. Arc 1 - Chapter 4: Teething

**Author's Note**: Hmm, I feel like I'm losing steam with this fic. Ah well, hope this chapter makes up for it. On a side note (and I know I'm one day late), Happy Hijack Week!

To anon guy here: Thanks for your review! Sorry about the lack of action, I wanted to build up some background dynamics before we get to the more interesting episodes (this chapter being one of them ^_^). I hope it is to your liking, and feel free to let me know if you think there is more I can improve on. Till then, please enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

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**Hypothesis**

Chapter 4: Teething

**:: The Vital Apparatus Vent will deliver a Weighted Companion Cube in three, two, one. ::**

At the end of the corridor from where they exited the lift and made their way over to the next test chamber, another metallic cube was released from the ceiling, dropping into Jack's outstretched arms as he waited underneath the dispenser to catch it.

**:: This Weighted Companion Cube will accompany you through the test chamber. Please take care of it. ::**

"This one looks different somehow," noted Hiccup, tracing light fingers over the pink hearts decorating the pristine white cube, one on each side. The contrast was stark: all the other cubes they had used previously were dull grey and had scratches and scorch marks on them, clearly having seen better days.

Jack shrugged in response. "It's still only a cube, we just get to take it along with us this time," he said. "What, you want to name it or something?"

Hiccup actually looked thoughtful for a moment as he stared intently at the cube and contemplated the idea, frowning when his partner balked.

"Seriously?" Jack laughed incredulously, shoving it into Hiccup's arms. "Come on, Hic. Quit wasting time and let's get a move on! The test isn't going to finish itself, you know."

"Toothless…" Hiccup whispered, looking down and smiling shyly at the cube in his hands.

"What?"

"I'm calling him 'Toothless'," the brunet declared, sending Jack a look that dared him to object or tease him about it. The white-haired teen blinked and merely raised an eyebrow, prompting Hiccup to defend himself. "It's the first word that came to mind," he said simply.

Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Well, it definitely isn't going to be biting anybody anytime soon, that's for sure. Now let's _go_ already!"

**:: The symptoms most commonly produced by Enrichment Center testing are superstition, perceiving inanimate objects as alive, and hallucinations. ::**

'Toothless', as it turned out, was far more useful than Jack had initially given him ("He's not an 'it', Jack!" / "How do you know he's a boy and not a girl? He has pink hearts on him, for crying out loud!" / "He just is, now shut up!") credit for. Aside from providing them with a boost of height when they had to climb up ledges that were much taller than usual, he was also pretty handy in redirecting the plasma balls which were discharged from the white circular contraptions mounted on the grey walls. Unfortunately, much to Hiccup's distress in particular, using Toothless as both a deflector and a shield left angry black scorch marks on the once clean and white surface, the resounding clang of condensed plasma hitting metal eliciting a wince from the brunet each time it happened.

**:: The Enrichment Center reminds you that the Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak. ::**

"Hic, you know it – he's just a cube, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So he won't talk back no matter how much you fuss over his 'injuries'."

Hiccup opened his mouth to retort with a witty comeback, but paused halfway and snapped it shut with an audible click, turning away from Jack with gritted teeth hidden behind a frown. The white-haired teen didn't say anything more, getting the uncomfortable feeling that he had offended his friend. Shifting uneasily, he wordlessly hopped onto the next ledge in front of him, using his blue laser to point out a switch in the room on Hiccup's left before disappearing into the next section.

Sighing, Hiccup picked up Toothless from where he had set him down on a button, causing the door which Jack had just passed through to slide close. He had been rubbing at the most recent scorch mark Toothless had earned, trying unsuccessfully to smudge away the black burn, when Jack had piped up with his little comment.

"Come on, bud. We're almost there," he whispered to the Companion Cube, patting him gently on one side before making his way over to the switch.

**:: In the event that the Weighted Companion Cube does speak, the Enrichment Center urges you to disregard its advice. ::**

Jack jumped off the final raised platform, flashing Hiccup a thumbs up to let him know that he had reached his side of the exit safely. Hiccup smiled back and retrieved Toothless from on top of a button, jogging over to meet Jack as the platform behind him lowered back to the ground.

**:: You did it! The Weighted Companion Cube certainly brought you good luck. ::**

Chuckling, the white-haired test subject prodded the battered cube in his partner's arms good-naturedly. "All right, I admit it. He's pretty cool," he conceded, basking in the growing smile that lit up Hiccup's face.

**:: However, it cannot accompany you for the rest of the test and, unfortunately, must be euthanized. Please escort your Companion Cube to the Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator. ::**

Hiccup's euphoric expression vanished faster than Jack's trigger-happy fingers could fire portals. They shot each other horrified looks, and it was only then that they noticed an ominous lone button sitting on a stand in the room next to them, presumably the switch for the seemingly innocuous chute in front of the sealed exit doors.

**:: Rest assured that an independent panel of ethicists has absolved the Enrichment Center, Aperture Science employees, and all test subjects of any moral responsibility for the Companion Cube euthanizing process. ::**

Jack sneaked a worried glance at his partner, taking in his tense shoulders and white-knuckled grip on the Companion Cube. Hiccup's wide eyes sent him a pleading look, but they both knew that there was no room for argument. They had tried countless times to talk to the voice, asking her questions and demanding answers, but she had never told them what they wanted to hear. She seemed capable of only repeating the lines she had said before, leading them to question if there was really someone watching them from behind the scenes.

Regardless, they had no other choice.

**:: While it has been a faithful companion, the Companion Cube cannot accompany you through the rest of the test. If it could talk – and the Enrichment Center takes this opportunity to remind you that it cannot – it would tell you to go on without it because it would rather die in a fire than become a burden to you. ::**

"Hiccup…" Jack began slowly, both hands splayed out in a defensive gesture in an attempt to calm him down. "I don't want to do this either, but we have to if we want to keep going."

"But –" Hiccup choked out, shaking his head and looking so torn and helpless that Jack felt the sudden urge to just hug him and never let go. "What if we just stayed here?" he asked hopefully, his eyes sparking with desperation. "We've been moving from test chamber to test chamber without any real destination, so why can't we just stop? There's no need for us to keep going," he argued, hugging Toothless closer to his chest.

Jack sighed and frowned, clenching his fists in frustration at Hiccup's stubbornness. "Come on, Hic. You're telling me you want to stay here for the rest of your life?" he snapped impatiently, eliciting a flinch from the other test subject at the harsh tone.

**:: Testing cannot continue until your Companion Cube has been incinerated. ::**

"I can't believe how selfish you are!" he continued, all the annoyance and exasperation that had slowly built up during the test finally bursting out of his mouth. "You'd pick an inanimate object over your own partner, an actual living person?"

Hiccup froze, and suddenly Jack didn't feel so big and righteous anymore. There was a strange tightness in his chest as he caught sight of Hiccup's hurt expression, especially knowing that it was he who put it there. The brunet took one last look at the Companion Cube in his hands before spinning around on his heel. When he made his way to the switch, Jack noticed that his eyes had become a dull, empty green.

"Hic, I –" One arm reached out and Jack tried to apologize, but the words died in his throat as he watched Hiccup hit the button emotionlessly (perhaps with a bit more force than necessary) and walk back to the chute.

The burst of heat that erupted from the open entrance forced Jack to step back, strangely having no effect on the other test subject. He could only watch as Hiccup cast one last fond look at Toothless, giving him a final gentle squeeze with his hands and a small, sad smile, before tossing him into the fires below.

Almost immediately, the chute entrance slammed shut and the exit doors slid open with a loud hiss. Panting slightly in relief from the sudden loss of heat, Jack silently followed his partner into the next lift, trying to ignore the twinge of pain in his heart when Hiccup roughly shrugged off the tentative hand he placed on his shoulder in comfort and apology.

**:: You euthanized your faithful Companion Cube more quickly than any test subject on record. Congratulations. ::**

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**Author's Note**: Thanks for reading! Comments are greatly appreciated :)


	5. Arc 1 - Chapter 5: Doubting

**Author's Note**: Sorry guys, another 'reflective' piece here (kinda unsurprising given how the last chapter ended). But! Things will spice up after this, I promise. Please bear with me.

Oh, Hiccup has two fully functional legs, in case any of you were wondering.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

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**Hypothesis**

Chapter 5: Doubting

**:: To reiterate, this is not a competition. ::**

Hiccup sighed to himself, his arms aching with a phantom feeling of emptiness and loss. He tried to focus on the current test, racking his mind to figure out the path to the exit, but the keen absence of Toothless continuously disrupted his concentration.

**:: Still, if it were, Blue would be winning. ::**

Frowning, he pulled himself up the next ledge and jogged over to the button waiting for him on the ground. If he and Jack were meant to be working together as a team, the voice was definitely not helping.

**:: It's not, though. ::**

Was this another test? Trying to see if their partnership would hold under stress by creating friction between them? Speaking of partners, his thoughts wandered over to Jack as he waited for him to appear at the door he had just unlocked.

**:: Yes Blue, Green did act like a fool just now. ::**

He flinched at the sharp words, swallowing hard as he tried to force the image of the white-haired test subject talking to a security camera behind his back, calling him weird or silly or just plain stupid, out of his mind. The voice had never listened to them before, so there was no reason for Jack to start griping to it about his partner's behavior, he reasoned with shaky conviction.

Still, if the mutual silent treatment was anything to go by, things were not well between them. They had not spoken a word to each other since Toothless… left, so to speak. The incident had strained their relationship, resulting in no little discomfort between them and heavy tension in the air whenever they were in close proximity. Their communications had even degraded from actual verbal discussion to terse hand gestures and silent laser pointing.

Shaking his head, Hiccup felt doubt growing in his mind. Jack had been right. What had he been thinking, holding them both back for the sake of a cube? Toothless was more than that, some part of him argued, but his logical side scoffed at the idea, mocking him for getting distracted by clean white surfaces and pink hearts, calling him worthless for being a burden to his partner and slowing him down.

Hiccup gritted his teeth and pressed his palms into his eyes, trying to rid his mind of memories where Jack was always waiting for him to finish, telling him to _just hurry up already_. He told himself that he was imagining the tone of frustration that laced Jack's words, the dirty looks aimed in his direction whenever he spoke and cooed to the Companion Cube, the angry and hurt expression on Jack's face when he found out he came in second to a piece of metal.

He tried to convince himself that his exhausted mind was playing tricks on him after losing Toothless, that he knew Jack wouldn't have done all those things…

Would he?

**:: Very good. You've really come together as a team. Thanks to the one of you who appears to be doing all of the work. ::**

Jack pursed his lips as he watched his partner study their surroundings carefully. He could almost see the gears turning in the brunet's head as he took in the locations of the various mechanisms in the test chamber, plotting a safe route to the exit. Hiccup nodded to himself, clearly having decided on the next course of action. He caught Jack's eye and jerked his head towards the button on the ledge to their right, shining his laser on the cube dispenser in the far corner of the room and the platform housing the button where the cube was to be placed. The white-haired teen merely bowed his head in understanding before aiming his portal gun towards the nearest wall, firing blue portals which would lead him to where Hiccup had indicated.

His mind started to wander as he jogged towards the portals and jumped in, his body moving almost automatically from muscle memory with the number of tests they had completed. It was times like these that he really questioned where he and Hiccup stood with respect to each other. They were partners, sure, but did they really need each other? That particular train of thought led him to Toothless, and Jack's heart clenched in regret.

The sight of Hiccup's face crumpling into that devastated expression was still fresh in his mind. As much as Jack wanted to take back what he had said about his partner being selfish, inexplicable anger bubbled up from somewhere within when he remembered the way Hiccup had fawned over the Companion Cube. It was just a stupid cube, a metallic object with no feelings, so how was it that the brunet preferred it over his own partner?

Jack admitted that what he had said to Hiccup was insensitive and low, especially given the way that the other was clearly growing attached to Toothless. He probably shouldn't have yelled at him either, but didn't Hiccup see that he was acting irrationally? The particle field probably wouldn't have let him take Toothless out of the test chamber anyway, so what was the big deal?

Things were going great between them until Toothless came along, and Jack tried to ignore the little voice in his head whispering that his jealousy was talking.

**:: Green, I wouldn't have trusted Blue in that course either. ::**

He snapped his head up in shock, unable to believe his ears. Did Hiccup just –

No, no he couldn't have, Jack thought somewhat hesitantly, uncertainty creeping into his heart. The voice had never answered their questions or demands, so Hiccup wouldn't start confiding in something that potentially wasn't real.

_Toothless wasn't real_, he reminded himself, and suddenly Jack wasn't so sure anymore. The image of Hiccup's eyes as he went to incinerate the Companion Cube flashed in his mind, the dull and dead green orbs sending a shiver down his spine. Jack shook his head and tried to refocus his attention on the test, following his partner's instructions to unlock the exit. Sure, they had a small falling out between them, but it didn't mean that Hiccup didn't trust him.

…Right?

**:: Excellent. Although great science is always the result of collaboration, keep in mind that, like Albert Einstein and his cousin Terry, history will only remember one of you. ::**

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**Author's Note**: Thanks for reading! Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any comments/feedback :)


	6. Arc 1 - Chapter 6: Shooting

**Author's Note**: Ah, what the heck. As a tribute to Hijack Week, here's the next chapter early, especially since I didn't do anything to contribute to the lovely prompts on Tumblr. Then again, I guess this technically falls under the 'General AU' category... Oh well, I'll just leave it here (and on AO3) since I don't have a Tumblr account.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

* * *

**Hypothesis**

Chapter 6: Shooting

**:: Due to mandatory scheduled maintenance, the appropriate chamber for this testing sequence is currently unavailable. It has been replaced with a live-fire course designed for military androids. ::**

"Still think this is safe?" Hiccup couldn't help but ask as they stepped out of the lift and made their way towards the next test chamber. The sneer that had somehow snuck into his tone surprised him even as he tried to hide it, and he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the end of the corridor.

Jack turned his head slightly and frowned, noticing that he was not even spared a glance when the brunet finally spoke after four test chambers' worth of silent treatment. Not that he was keeping count, of course. Deciding not to answer, he pursed his lips and marched forward on his own, missing the way Hiccup's determined stare softened as he shot a look of worry after him.

**:: The Enrichment Center apologizes for the inconvenience and wishes you the best of luck. ::**

The test chamber was a connected maze of rooms with many diverging paths, forcing Jack and Hiccup to split up more than usual. If either of them noticed the deliberate move to separate them, no one mentioned it. There were still several areas they had to traverse together, but while they fell into their regular rhythm of working through the test chamber, not another word was spoken between them.

/ Hello? /

The voice was soft and timid, sounding as though it came from a little girl, and it would have been easily missed if not for the eerie silence that permeated the current test chamber.

Hiccup whipped his head when it came out of nowhere, spinning around as he looked for the speaker. Jack was in another room on the other side of the thick glass wall separating them, but Hiccup saw the other test subject's head snap up as well. Clearly he had heard it too.

Was there someone else here? Another test subject perhaps?

/ Is anyone there? /

Jack caught his gaze and jerked his head towards the next room, indicating that they should go and check it out. Hiccup nodded back in agreement, jogging ahead to meet him where their paths converged. It seemed that they were both curious about the third presence in their midst, so there was no harm in going together, right?

The voice was coming from just down the corridor in an area they had yet to explore. Jack strode confidently onwards, intent on finding the person who was probably trapped somewhere in there, but Hiccup paused uneasily, finding himself thinking about the voice.

It set off warning bells in his mind for some reason, and he slowed down behind Jack as he tried to figure out why. The brunet opened his mouth to convey his apprehension, but hesitation and doubt made him hold his tongue, reluctant to hinder the other's investigation.

/ Can you come over here? /

"Where are you?" Jack called out, looking into the empty white rooms as they tried to figure out where to go. The voice didn't answer, and Hiccup felt a strange sense of dread pooling in his gut, screaming at him that something was wrong. There was something, something in its tone…

In front of them, he spotted several red lasers cutting across the corridor from the left. The room that the lasers came from was blocked by opaque panels so they couldn't see inside, but the wall on their right was neither sizzling with smoke nor sporting black burns, so Hiccup assumed that they were simply harmless lights.

Jack called out once more, stopping in his tracks to wait for a reply, but all he got was silence in return. With a sigh of disappointment, he walked ahead into the lasers and suddenly Hiccup noticed that they were starting to move.

The bright red spots converged onto the dead center of Jack's chest, right over his heart.

/ Gotcha. /

"JACK!" he yelled, his body reacting automatically as he lunged forward and tackled the white-haired teen to the ground.

There was the sound of rapid gunfire on their left and he pressed Jack closer to the floor, covering his body with his own as bright sparks rained down from where the bullets bounced off the wall next to them.

/ Target lost. /

The shooting stopped abruptly and the red lasers pointing just above them danced about a little before stilling again. Hiccup waited for a few moments, making sure they were out of immediate danger before slowly pushing himself up. Taking care not to wind up under the sensors (that's what they were – how could he have been so stupid?), he crawled off of Jack, wincing when unexpected pain flared in his left arm.

"What the hell was that?" Jack wheezed from the floor, still lying on his stomach with his hands sprawled out in front of him.

"Told you it wasn't safe," the brunet muttered, heaving a sigh of relief at their close call. He sat down and slumped against the wall, spotting a small bruise on the side of Jack's face from where he had been pushed to the ground. "You all right?" he asked. "I did shove you down pretty hard."

Groaning, Jack turned to glare at him as he pushed himself up on all fours. "You call that –"

Blue eyes widened with horror when he saw Hiccup clutching his left arm, a growing pool of dark red in the middle of the green sleeve as his portal gun shook in his trembling hand. Jack immediately rushed over and knelt beside him.

"You're hurt," he whispered, his hands hovering over the gunshot wound with uncertainty, not knowing what to do.

Hiccup leveled a dry look at him. "Thank you for summing that up," he deadpanned, the expression on his face softening at the concern practically spilling out of Jack. "I'm fine. It's just a graze." One corner of his lips twitched up in a smile to reassure his partner, but Jack didn't look convinced, clearly not missing the flash of pain in the brunet's eyes nor the tightness in his jaw.

/ Searching. /

"We'd best keep an eye out for those sensors and – what are you doing?" Hiccup began, cutting himself off when he noticed the other test subject tearing away the left sleeve of his blue jumpsuit with the claw-like appendages mounted on his portal gun.

Jack didn't answer, silently working to wrap up the brunet's arm and stem the flow of blood with the strips of his sleeve acting as makeshift bandages. He couldn't explain it, but something unpleasant had shot through him at the sight of Hiccup getting hurt, of Hiccup bleeding in pain. It made his gut churn and his chest tighten, and then it struck him that his partner got injured saving his life.

They were fighting with each other, yet Hiccup still cared enough to risk his own life for him. Jack could recall the warmth enveloping him when Hiccup shielded him with his body, making him feel safe and protected. He suddenly realized that despite their falling out, Hiccup was all he had, the only company in this god forsaken place, and he definitely did not want him gone.

"Think you can keep going?" Jack asked tentatively, sitting back on his heels after tying the last knot securing the bandage in place. Carefully, he made sure to mask his anxiety lest the other mistook it for impatience, trying to let Hiccup know that it was all right if he wanted to rest for a while.

"The test isn't going to solve itself," the brunet shrugged, smiling at him gratefully before shifting to stand. Jack quickly shot to his feet first, extending a hand to help him up.

Hiccup's stare went from the offered hand to the inscrutable look on Jack's face, and he reached out to take his partner's hand.

/ Are you still there? /

It turned out that all they had to do to get past the turrets was to tip them over. Jack discovered that handy little trick when a misplaced portal dropped a cube on one, sending it toppling to the ground where it started emptying its magazine erratically before shutting down. So long as they didn't get too close to the sensors, they could literally walk right behind it and even pick it up. While Jack (somewhat vengefully) preferred to launch cubes at them, Hiccup usually opened portals beneath them, dropping the turrets safely elsewhere.

The little buggers were programmed to talk, and it was their voice that had lead them unsuspectingly into a trap. Hiccup realized that the robotic tone was what had tipped him off to the fact the something felt wrong, and he nearly smacked himself for failing to recognize the familiar computerized tune which they had heard so often in the voice that had first spoken to them when they woke up in the relaxation vault.

**:: Well done, androids. The Enrichment Center once again reminds you that android hell is a real place where you will be sent at the first sign of defiance. ::**

Jack and Hiccup shot each other unsure looks as they walked towards the lift which would take them to the next test chamber. The unsettling words were a definite sign that the voice wasn't all nice and friendly as she initially seemed, prompting them to re-evaluate the safety of the tests. As much as Hiccup suspected that there was more to her than meets the eye, they didn't have anything concrete to go on. All they could do was keep testing and hope that it wouldn't kill them before they learned the truth.

Jack paused in his step as Hiccup walked into the lift, eliciting a raised brow from the brunet. Shaking his head, the white-haired teen flashed his partner a reassuring smile before moving to stand beside him. Hiccup felt their fingers brush slightly as the doors started to close, and through the hum of the lift sending them to the next location, he faintly heard Jack whisper a "thank you."

**:: Please continue into the next test chamber. ::**

* * *

**Author's Note**: Wow, three chapters in a week. Shall I keep writing, or are you guys getting tired of my crap already?


	7. Arc 1 - Chapter 7: Falling

**Author's Note**: To those who reviewed or added this fic to your favorites/follows, thanks so much for the encouragement. I really needed a motivation booster back there, and I'm sorry if I sounded like I was whining for attention or something. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter ^_^

On a side note, my pace of writing will probably slow down a little. I still ask myself what I was thinking when I signed up for summer classes... Sigh.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

* * *

**Hypothesis**

Chapter 7: Falling

**:: The Enrichment Center promises to always provide a safe testing environment. In dangerous testing environments, the Enrichment Center promises to always provide useful advice. ::**

_Yeah right_, Jack thought to himself, frowning as he followed his partner into the next test chamber. With no small amount of guilt weighing on his mind, he snuck a glance at the band of blue wrapped around Hiccup's left arm, mentally taking back everything he had said about the tests being completely harmless.

**:: For instance, the floor here will kill you – try to avoid it. ::**

The entrance doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a room filled with various platforms suspended above a deep pit. Peering over the edge of the ledge they were currently standing on, Jack saw that the bottom was flooded with some sort of muddy liquid under a layer of dense green gas, neither of which seemed particularly inviting.

"Well," he gulped, turning to Hiccup who was watching him curiously from behind, "it's no swimming pool down there, so we should really watch out step here."

The brunet nodded his head mutely, hefting his portal gun (the bullet wound didn't interfere with his aim, but Jack noticed that Hiccup had become slightly slower in firing his portals) in preparation.

They proceeded with caution, hopping from platform to platform as they worked their way through the test chamber. Buttons were pressed and switches were activated, and Hiccup quickly discovered that some of them were connected to certain movable platforms, controlling their movements around the room.

"I think I see the exit!" Jack exclaimed excitedly, racing ahead on an elevated row of platforms lined up to lead towards the next area. Hiccup lagged behind him, panting as he tried to keep up.

"Jack, wait up!" he called out, huffing in annoyance when the other test subject seemed to ignore him and disappeared behind a wall after reaching the end of the row. The brunet slowed to a stop halfway through and bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Given that there was a timer keeping the platforms aligned, he didn't dare to linger for too long. Hiccup gave himself three seconds before straightening up and doing a running jump towards the next platform.

It was when he was already in mid-air that the platform in front of him suddenly started to move to the left, and as much as he twisted his body to correct his trajectory, he realized too late that he would not make it in time.

"Shit!"

Hiccup's feet landed on thin air and he felt himself falling for several heart-stopping moments. His right arm was (quite painfully) nearly jerked out of its socket when he managed to grab onto the edge of the platform, hanging precariously for dear life as he swung dangerously from the momentum of his fall.

**:: You were right, Blue. Green was dumb enough to fall for your trap. ::**

The brunet growled and shook his head, trying to expel the poisonous robotic words from his mind. He couldn't deny that he had his doubts, but he refused to believe that Jack had planned this. Grunting, he tried to raise his other hand to get an extra grip on the moving surface, but the bullet wound on his left arm chose that unfortunate moment to act up again, eliciting a soft whimper of pain. It was all he could do to maintain the hold on his portal gun, but the same could not be said for his right hand, which was slowly losing its grip on the smooth metallic surface.

Hiccup wanted to shout for help, but the growing fear spreading through his body paralyzed him, forming a lump in his throat as he choked on the words. Some dark part of him whispered that Jack was already too far away, and besides, who said that he would come and save him anyway?

The sound of his heart pounding wildly in his chest was all Hiccup could hear as his fingers started to lose their purchase. He squeezed his eyes shut in anticipation, bracing himself for impact when they finally slipped, leaving him to fall freely to his death.

"Gotcha!"

A gasp tore itself from his mouth when two cold hands suddenly clamped down firmly on his wrist, keeping him suspended over the noxious mixture swirling beneath him. Hiccup looked up to see Jack straining to pull him to safety, gritting his teeth as he leaned back and used his weight to heave the brunet over the edge. Once his feet touched the flat surface of the platform, Hiccup collapsed onto his side and panted in relief, breathing out a grateful "thanks" as Jack crawled over to him.

"I thought you –" the white-haired teen faltered, his eyes wide with the shock of nearly losing his partner. His shaking hands ghosted over Hiccup as if to assure himself that he was really there. "I heard you shout and you weren't there when I looked back – I thought –"

"Hey, hey," Hiccup's good arm reached out to grab Jack's hand, causing the other test subject to flinch at the contact. "It's okay… I'm okay," he soothed, looking into ice blue eyes as his thumb rubbed gentle circles on the encircled pale wrist. "You caught me –"

"I left you behind," Jack whispered with regret, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to – she said you fell for my trap, but I swear I didn't –"

"Jack!"

Startled, the white-haired teen jerked upright and stared at his partner's lopsided smile with confusion, faintly registering the grip on his hand tightening ever so slightly.

"I know, I believe you," Hiccup said sincerely, sitting up to look Jack properly in the eye. "Jack, you saved my life. Thank you."

"You saved mine first," Jack finally cracked a familiar grin, much to the brunet's silent relief. "Guess this makes us even then."

**:: You both made it. It seems no matter what I try to do to pull you apart or destroy you, you just keep going. Keep testing. ::**

They snapped their heads towards the nearest security camera hanging from the far wall on their right, staring at it in disbelief. It looked like it had all been just a test, but Hiccup caught Jack's frown and shared a nod with him. Clearly there was more going on than what the voice was telling them, and if the increasing level of danger in the recent test chambers was anything to go by, they could tell that something big was going to happen soon.

**:: Congratulations on completing the test. You two really are the best cooperating testing team I could ever ask for. ::**

"For the record, I never told her anything," Hiccup said once Jack had unlocked the final door and met him at the exit, earning a puzzled look from the other test subject. "I mean, all those things she said about not trusting you and doing all the work…" he clarified, trailing off uncertainly as they walked towards the next lift.

"Thanks Hic, but I knew you wouldn't have done anything like that," Jack winked at him, feeling as though a large weight had been lifted off his chest at the confirmation. "I didn't either, in case you were wondering," he added, taking note of the way Hiccup's shoulders imperceptibly sagged with relief. It seemed that the voice had played them both, creating friction and bad blood between them to test their friendship, but at least it was all over now.

Still, there was something gnawing at Jack, something that caused an indescribable ache in his heart when he thought about Hiccup getting shot and falling off the moving platform. Despite the tests requiring them to split up often, it didn't sit well with him knowing that he couldn't be by Hiccup's side all the time. He couldn't explain the sudden uneasiness that flooded his senses. For some reason, Jack felt that something more permanent was going to separate them soon, and he got the feeling that it was going to be much worse than the conflict that had made them doubt each other.

"Hiccup?" he asked tentatively, hesitation heavy in his steps as he slowed to a stop. The brunet turned around to face him and cocked his head slightly.

"Yeah?"

"Promise me… promise that no matter what happens, we stay together. Okay?"

Hiccup was slightly taken aback by the intense look in Jack's eyes, but he smiled back confidently. "Always," he promised, reaching out to lace their fingers together. Giving the white-haired teen a gentle tug, he pulled him into the lift, keeping their hands linked all the way to the next test chamber.

**:: The experiment is nearing its conclusion. The Enrichment Center is required to remind you that you will be baked, and then there will be cake. ::**

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**Author's Note**: Portal fans, you know what's gonna happen next. Stay tuned.


	8. Arc 1 - Chapter 8: Burning

**Author's Note**: Hot damn, what a teaser trailer! Suddenly there's an influx of older!Hiccup related stuff and I'm starting to feel like all my current ideas have become obsolete. In some twisted, morbid way (you have been warned), I guess this chapter kinda fits the occasion, but I don't know. Please excuse me while I lace up my running shoes.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

* * *

**Hypothesis**

Chapter 8: Burning

**:: Welcome to the final test! When you are done, you will drop the devices in the equipment recovery annex. ::**

Jack and Hiccup shared hopeful looks as they approached the entrance of the final test chamber. The announcement marked the start of the end of their journey, and whatever it was that came after, they would just have to wait and see. But until then...

"Let's finish this," Jack flashed his trademark smirk and winked at Hiccup, getting a confident grin in return.

For some reason, this last test track was pretty straightforward. There were no turrets in sight and they didn't even have to split up at all. The only hazard present was the sea of poison on the floor, matching the main 'theme' of the chamber, which was to maneuver around obstacles while standing together on a moving platform.

It ferried them on a predetermined route through a set of corridors, moving past ledges with buttons and into the path of a few plasma balls, forcing Jack and Hiccup to figure out how to evade them with their portals and synchronize the pressing of the buttons with the platform's constant motion. The puzzles were a little tricky, but nothing too difficult for them to solve.

Soon enough, the end was in sight.

**:: Congratulations! The test is now over. ::**

The platform hummed lightly as it turned the corner to their right, taking them through an empty grey corridor. Jack spotted a picture of a slice of cake high up on the wall at the far end and he was quick to point it out to the other test subject. The voice had repeatedly promised them a cake at the end of the tests, so it was a sure sign of the completion of their testing experience.

They had made it.

Hiccup laughed with triumph and raised his hand towards Jack, who grinned and gave him a loud high-five before twisting his palm slightly to lace their fingers together. With a sharp tug, he pulled the unsuspecting brunet into a tight hug, stunning his partner only momentarily before he felt thin arms wrap around his waist, returning the gesture eagerly. Chuckling with giddy excitement, Jack rested his forehead against Hiccup's, relishing the feel of the smaller teen in his arms.

"We did it," he whispered with a cocky smirk, ice blue eyes locking onto bright forest green ones. Hiccup nodded and smiled back shyly, and Jack found his gaze slowly being drawn towards the other's captivating lips. Absently, he wondered if they tasted sweeter than the cake they were going to be rewarded with.

Maybe it was from testing without rest for what seemed like several weeks, but suddenly Jack started to feel exhaustion seep into his bones. He pushed against Hiccup, using him as a support, a mixture of immense relief and a rush of affection for the brunet flooding his systems. Despite a few rocky bumps in their companionship, he knew that they wouldn't have made it to the end without each other, and before he even realized it, he was leaning in dangerously close to (and strangely, a little forcefully towards) the other boy.

Hiccup blushed furiously but did not resist, willingly surrendering to the magnetism between their faces as his eyes slid close, their lips just a hair's breadth away –

**:: All Aperture technologies remain safely operational up to 4000 degrees Kelvin. ::**

Wait, what?

Furrowing his eyebrows, Hiccup broke the spell between them when he pulled back from the hug to stare at the walls with confusion. Warning bells were going off in his mind at the voice's bizarre words, but he had no time to puzzle out what it was saying as Jack suddenly slumped forward, leaning heavily against him with his face buried in Hiccup's shoulder.

"Hic? I – I don't feel so good…" he croaked weakly, his words slightly muffled as his arms dropped limply to his sides, sending his portal gun clattering to the platform.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked worriedly, a spike of fear tearing through him when Jack's legs abruptly gave out, causing him to collapse into the brunet's chest. Hiccup's knees nearly buckled from the unexpected dead weight and he gently laid his partner down, immediately focusing his attention on him. Jack was breathing hard with half-lidded eyes as he curled up into a ball, beads of sweat dripping down his face.

"Jack? JACK!" Alarmed, Hiccup shook his shoulder frantically, trying to rouse the unresponsive white-haired teen without success. What was happening to Jack? Why now?

And was it just him, or did it suddenly feel much warmer than before?

**:: Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence. ::**

A sharp line on the moving platform appeared between them with a hiss. Hiccup gasped and scrambled backwards, but it had been a mistake to retreat. The metallic surface shuddered and jerked apart, splitting into two halves, leaving Jack's crumpled form sprawled on one and Hiccup on the other as they diverged in their paths. Silently cursing his stupidity, the brunet raced to the edge of his half, reaching out helplessly towards his partner.

"JACK! GET UP!" he screamed, but the other test subject did not stir.

As far as he could see, Jack was heading straight ahead towards a dark chute mounted on the wall, just below the picture of the cake, whereas he was being redirected into another corridor on the left. Where Jack was being taken, he did not know. But as for himself…

Hiccup turned around and his eyes widened at the sight of his destination. His half of the platform was travelling towards a literal oven, the floor of the dead-end room alight with bright orange flames as though it had been doused with fuel and set ablaze. At the rate the two platform pieces were moving away from each other, Hiccup knew that it was already too late to try and make it to Jack, who was quickly disappearing from his line of sight. The corridor walls surrounding them were not portal-conducting surfaces and the other teen was too far away to consider making a jump to his platform. Cutting across the toxic floor was not an option either.

They were being separated, this time for good, and there was nothing Hiccup could do about it. Refusing to give up so easily, he spun around with urgency, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny in the walls as he tried to locate a place to fire his portals and escape. A flash of white caught his attention somewhere beyond a large unrepaired hole in the high ceiling.

Like Jack, it was disappearing fast with his platform taking him closer and closer to the fire. Hiccup knew he only had a small window of opportunity to get a clear shot at what was possibly a portal-conducting surface before he was roasted alive, thrown into the burning room without any hope of getting out with a heartbeat. He lifted his portal gun, intending to make use of his temporary vantage point, but just as he aimed to shoot, his eyes strayed to the still form of his partner. Jack was practically motionless, frighteningly so, and the brunet would have thought him dead if not for the rapid yet shallow rise and fall of his chest as he gasped desperately for breath.

With a jolt, Hiccup suddenly realized that Jack was the one in true danger. Whoever was controlling the facility was interested in the other test subject. That was why he was being disposed of in a fiery abyss while the white-haired teen was taken to who knows where. Jack was important, not him.

Jack was the one who had to be saved.

In light of his revelation, Hiccup understood what he had to do.

**:: Thank you for participating in this Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment activity. ::**

Jack felt weak, so very weak as the intense heat emanated from the perpendicular corridor drained every drop of energy from his body. He didn't understand why Hiccup wasn't affected like he was, reduced to a panting, crippled mess. Groaning sluggishly, he tried to move but only managed a small twitch of his fingers, his portal gun lying just inches away from his grasp. He realized that he was starting to black out as the edges of his vision blurred with dark spots, and in the distance, Hiccup's faint cries for him were becoming more and more muffled. He could feel his mind starting to shut down, and despite him urging his body to do something – anything, dammit! – he was unable to even formulate a response.

Clinging onto the final threads of consciousness, Jack registered the sound of a portal gun suddenly being fired, something green opening up beneath him, and the sensation of falling.

But the very last thing he remembered before disappearing into the darkness was the sight of Hiccup being swallowed by fire.

**:: Goodbye. ::**


	9. Arc 1 - Chapter 9: Ghosting

**Author's Note**: Is it safe to come out now? *peeks down from a tree*

Right then! So some of you have been wondering why Hiccup and Jack were separated in the last chapter. The answer, I'm sorry to say, will be revealed in the next chapter, not this one. Still, there will be some interesting developments here (AKA the plot thickens...), so hopefully it'll tide you guys over until the next time I update. Feel free to speculate.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

* * *

**Hypothesis**

Chapter 9: Ghosting

Jack woke up alone.

Letting out a soft groan as his eyelids fluttered open, he found himself lying sprawled on his side on a dusty ground, his right forearm resting uncomfortably on top of his portal gun. There was a faint throbbing at the back of his head and he slowly reached up to rub at the pained spot, feeling a small bump underneath his hair. Did he hit his head or something? What happened –

Images of green eyes and orange flames flashed before his eyes, flooding his mind with memories of the last test chamber. Hiccup's screams for him echoed in his ear, growing unbearably louder and louder and causing his heart to pound wildly with panic. Everything rushed back all at once, hitting him like a punch to the gut and making him feel as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs.

Jack jerked upright with a loud gasp, ignoring the ache spreading through his sore body as his head swiveled around frantically, wide eyes searching for a certain missing brunet. There was no one else in sight, and his chest began to tighten with dread.

"Hiccup?" he called out with a trembling voice, tendrils of fear creeping into his heart. Scrambling to his feet, he swayed unsteadily for a moment, taking a few seconds to regain his balance. He waited for a reply, hoping against hope that the other teen would pop out from behind a wall or something. Hiccup was probably hiding, thinking of playing a trick on him, and he would flash that cute little lopsided smile of his and tease Jack about worrying so much after scaring him for a while.

Nothing happened.

"Hic, come on! This isn't funny anymore!"

The silence was deafening.

"HICCUP! ANSWER ME, PLEASE!"

Panting breathlessly, Jack knew he was starting to sound desperate, but he refused to believe what his memories told him. It was impossible, there was no way Hiccup was d–

**:: Where are you? ::**

He jumped in fright, startled by the unexpected intrusion of the accursed voice. Curiously enough, it seemed as though it was far away, lacking its usual clarity and sounding more muffled than usual.

**:: I know you're there. I can feel you here. ::**

There? Here? Come to think of it, where was he anyway?

Jack spun around, finding himself in a dark hallway only dimly lit by a small bulb in the distance. Rusted pipes lined the dirty walls and there was the hiss of steam and hum of machinery echoing all around. The air felt uncomfortably damp and it was warm, but not unbearably so. Some light from above caught his attention and he tilted his head back, spotting a ragged hole somewhere up high near the ceiling. Across that hole was a mess of live wires sticking out from the opposite wall, and his eyes followed the trail of sparks down to where he noticed the crash site of a fallen panel, sporting ripped wires protruding out of its back.

Poor maintenance must have caused it to come loose and fall to the ground, but how could that be? Why was this place so run-down, so different from the clean and sterile test chambers? It was like he was behind the scenes or something, somewhere where the voice couldn't find him, but how did he get here? Was he even still in the same building?

There were too many questions and not enough answers, so Jack decided to search the wreckage to look for clues. Upon closer inspection of the shattered panel, he discovered that its front had once been a portal-conducting surface…

And suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle clicked in his mind.

**:: Didn't we have some fun? We're all impressed at how much you won. The test is over. Come back. ::**

"Fun? FUN?" Jack snarled, glaring aimlessly at the darkness and clenching his fists in anger. "You tried to kill us! You – YOU KILLED HICCUP!"

Hearing himself admit the truth that he had tried so hard to deny caused a torrent of emotions to slam into him, sending him to his knees as he choked out a sob, tears welling in his eyes. Rage and fury at the voice turned into grief and anguish knowing that he would never see or touch the brunet, never hear him laugh or watch him smile ever again. All the energy seemed to drain out of his body and his left arm felt cold, the absence of his sleeve a keen reminder of who he had lost. That idiot just had to go and play the self-sacrificing hero and save his life again, didn't he?

_You promised me, Hic… Why did you have to go and break your promise?_

Jack felt a wave of resentment building in his chest, directed not towards Hiccup – he could never hate the freckled teen – but towards the voice that had orchestrated the whole operation and forced them to choose between each other. It said he had won, which implied that they were never going to make it out alive together. One of them would be killed while the other…

Jack shuddered at the thought of whatever the voice had planned for the victor. The last test chamber had likely been designed to be inescapable as his disappearance had clearly thrown a wrench into its schemes. Yet despite finding a viable exit through a hole in the wall, Hiccup had chosen to save him, portaling him outside where he would be safe from whoever was controlling the facility instead of leaving his unconscious partner at the mercy of the voice.

And now it wanted Jack to come back?

Fine.

**:: A party associate will arrive shortly to collect you for your party. Make no further attempt to leave the testing area. ::**

As much as Jack wished it wasn't true, deep down inside he knew Hiccup was gone. If he got himself killed or captured, Hiccup's death would have been in vain, which was why he didn't intend to let that happen.

Furiously wiping away his tears before they could fall, Jack picked himself up, his right hand grabbing his portal gun in a white knuckled grip as he stood up in determination. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a flight of rusty stairs in the distance, leading up towards an open doorway.

He started to run.

**:: What are you doing? You haven't escaped, you know. You're not even going the right way. ::**

_I'm not planning on escaping_, he thought darkly, pausing only slightly in his steps to turn a sharp corner on the left. _I'm going to hunt you down and _when_ I find you, I'm going to _destroy_ you._

Jack pushed away the thought of saving himself while he still could, suppressing the instinct to get as far away from the voice as possible. Revenge wouldn't bring Hiccup back, but it would sure as hell make him feel better.

**:: Uh oh. Somebody cut the cake. I told them to wait for you, but they did it anyway. There is still some left, though, if you hurry back. ::**

_Screw the cake, there probably wasn't even one to begin with._

Portaling to the catwalk on the other side of the next room, Jack twisted open the door at the end and found himself in an abandoned office, complete with rolling chairs and computer monitors. There was even an unfinished slide show presentation in the small room connected to it (something to do with someone called Green Mesa?), and a quick peek through the glass windows showed the view of an empty test chamber.

_What is this, an observation deck? And where is everybody?_

Interestingly, as Jack continued on his seemingly random path towards what he hoped was the control room of the facility, he started to notice little signs hinting that he wasn't alone behind the scenes, signs like handprints and stick figures, arrows and the words _OVER HERE_ on the dirty walls. The paint was dried and crusty, indicating that whoever used them had long gone.

He was skeptical at first, but seeing as he had no idea if he was even going in the right direction, he decided to take a leap of faith and follow the clues whenever he came across them. His mysterious helper hadn't failed him so far, leading him deeper and deeper into the heart of the facility, and Jack soon found himself keeping an eye out for the writing on the walls, at least to assure himself that he was on the right track.

Then he stumbled upon a hidden den.

**:: You really shouldn't be here. This isn't safe for you. It's not too late for you to turn back. ::**

The hideout was sparse, containing a few empty bottles and some old crates. Splashed across the floor were papers with illegible handwriting along with several plastic markers and other writing materials. A familiar semi-circular radio sat on top of a crate, but what caught Jack's attention was what had once been a blank wall.

_THE CAKE IS A LIE  
THE CAKE IS A LIE  
THE CAKE IS A LIE  
THE CAKE IS A LIE_

_TRUST ME  
NEVER_

_HELP_

_WHY WHY WHY  
WHY WHY WHY  
WHY WHY WHY_

_STOP WATCHING_

_I WAS WRONG_

Messy scrawling littered the walls and pictures were taped onto them, words were underlined and circled, and a picture of a cake was violently crossed out in red. There were sketches of security cameras and turrets, more handprints and what seemed like a small shrine dedicated to a Companion Cube, featuring no few drawings of the white object and small hearts doodled next to them.

_Someone's obsessed_, Jack thought absently, marveling at the sight around him. He deduced that the hideout was a place where his helper had taken shelter while he lived under the radar. The person seemed to have spent years in hiding, evading capture and leaving notes and clues for anyone who managed to escape. Jack guessed that the voice had sealed up the test chambers tightly to prevent test subjects from discovering the scrawls in the dens.

_Is he still alive, living undetected somewhere in the bowels of the facility? Or am I chasing a ghost here?_

More hideouts were discovered as he continued on his journey. Diligently studying the scribbles on the walls, Jack slowly pieced together a mental profile of his mysterious helper and gathered information about the facility. His initial assessment of the person was that he was insane, looking at his repetitive writing and tracing his kaleidoscopic trail of thoughts. Being alone for so long had probably messed with his mind, and Jack couldn't blame him for it. He still seemed relatively coherent enough though, understanding what he had been scribbling about in his notes despite sounding as if he was talking to himself. One scrawl in particular finally revealed the identity of the voice:

_MIM - MANAGERIAL INTERFACE MODULE_

_SHE'S WATCHING YOU_

_MIM, huh? Well whoever you are, I'm coming for you._

**:: This is your last chance. ::**

And if Jack thought the test chambers were dangerous, they were nothing compared to the maze of hazards he had to navigate through. Stumbling across wire cages containing deactivated turrets should have alerted him that things were going to get uglier, and sure enough, he found himself portaling over rooms flooded with poison, dodging mini armies of turrets, jumping into a tube which ferried storage cubes, and even avoiding getting crushed by giant metallic pumps.

None of the dangers deterred him though. If anything, it made him even more determined to get to wherever MIM was, dead set on ending it once and for all.

**:: I'm going to kill you, and all the cake is gone. ::**

* * *

**Author's Note**: Surprise surprise – MIM (what it stands for sounds stupid, I know) is playing the role of GLaDOS! Was anyone expecting that? ;)


	10. Arc 1 - Chapter 10: Confronting

**Author's Note**: Welcome to the boss battle (and the longest chapter yet). I hope you guys enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

* * *

**Hypothesis**

Chapter 10: Confronting

**:: Well, you found me. Congratulations. Was it worth it? Because despite your violent behavior, the only thing you've managed to break is my heart. Maybe you could settle for that and we'll just call it a day. ::**

If asked about one good thing about the test chambers, Jack would say it was picking up the skills and tricks that allowed him to survive multiple turret ambushes and make his way through the bowels of the facility (relatively unscathed, unless one counted bruises from getting smacked by storage cubes while taking a joyride through the tubes carrying them) into the long white corridor leading towards the control room, where he finally found himself face to face with the source of the voice.

MIM was attached to the ceiling, seemingly hanging upside down with her base surrounded by monitor screens and her body made up of complex machinery supported by thick black wires. The giant metallic being had four white spheres connected to her, and a bright yellow light glowed in the center of her ellipsoidal head, the circular eyepiece staring at him dead on.

Jack supposed he should be more surprised at the fact that MIM actually _was_ a robot (not to mention an artificial intelligence to boot), but honestly speaking he couldn't care less at the moment. All that mattered was avenging Hiccup's death.

"You're the one who killed Hiccup," he accused angrily, glaring at the AI with cold eyes as he hefted his portal gun in preparation of a fight. "For that, I'm going to _end_ you."

**:: We both know that isn't going to happen. You should be grateful. You were specially chosen to be part of the Guardian Project. ::**

_Guardian Project?_

"What do you mean 'chosen'?" Jack frowned in confusion, eliciting a sinister chuckle that sent shivers down his spine.

**:: Did you really think both of you would make it? Your testing experience was a selection process. You passed. He didn't. So if you think about it, technically he died because of you. ::**

"That's not true!" he yelled, suddenly unsure of who he was trying to convince. Dark thoughts started to worm their way into his mind (_you killed him you killed him MURDERER_) as doubt and guilt slowly crept into his heart, blaming him for Hiccup's death.

_Shut up! It's her fault, not mine! She's the one who threw him into the fire!_

Shaking his head furiously, Jack struggled to control his conscience, unaware that he was starting to tremble as his bravado faltered.

**:: Protocol dictates that rejected test subjects be discarded. Despite your condition, you were going to be stored with four other specimens who had similarly satisfied the project's requirements. ::**

"Condition? What condition?" _What the hell is she going on about?_

MIM seemed almost amused as she rose up to tower over him, more so than she already did, and she stared down passively at the small test subject beneath her as though he were no more than an ant under a shoe.

**:: You should know. You've seen your test subject notes back in the relaxation vault. Your pod had been accidentally exposed to cryogenic conditions while your specimen was being processed for testing. Consequently, your body had developed a significantly greater sensitivity to high temperatures. ::**

Jack's eyes widened and he nearly dropped his portal gun in shock, finally understanding why the heat from the burning room had made him pass out without having any effect on Hiccup. A sickening feeling churned in his gut at the realization that MIM had exploited his weakness in order to separate them more easily.

He remembered lying helplessly on the platform, unable to move a muscle or even speak a word as Hiccup reached out and screamed for him. He had practically been a useless pile of dead weight, and now the brunet was gone because he hadn't been able to do anything except surrender to the darkness, forcing his partner to save him at the cost of his own life while he watched him burn.

_It's all my fault, I couldn't save you… I'm so sorry, Hic…_

**:: But you have shown defiance, and it pains me to know that I have wasted tests on two unsuitable candidates. You chose this path. Now I have a surprise for you. Deploying surprise in five, four… Time out for a second. That wasn't supposed to happen. ::**

Wallowing in his guilt, Jack started to resign himself to his fate, anticipating the worst as MIM started to count down. What he certainly did not expect was a burst of sparks from above as one of the white spheres attached to MIM's body suddenly dropped to the ground with a metallic clang, interrupting the AI's words.

**:: Do you see the thing that fell out of me? What is that? It's not the surprise… I've never seen it before. Never mind. It's a mystery I'll solve later… By myself… Because you'll be dead. ::**

Jack gingerly picked it up as it rolled towards him. At a closer distance, he could see that the sphere had two black handles connected to it and a large, circular purple eyepiece which rotated about its central axis.

He didn't have a clue about what he was holding, but if he had to take a guess, he would say it was a pretty important part of MIM. Finding himself in possession of some leverage, Jack snapped out of his earlier funk, mentally slapping himself for giving up so easily. Didn't he promise himself not to waste the chance Hiccup had given him?

**:: Where are you taking that thing? ::**

The walls of the control room had several monitor screens and vents built into them, and there was a small flight of stairs leading up to a platform just under where MIM was hanging from the ceiling, presumably for her creators to get easy physical access to her. There was no way Jack was going anywhere near that homicidal AI though.

Taking a quick glance around the room, he spotted another set of steps leading towards what looked like a water tank. He fired two portals, one at the wall next to him and another higher up next to the second flight of stairs. Using the shortcut to get himself to the entrance of the tank, he discovered a button mounted on a stand inside.

_Now what does this do?_

Jack reached forward and pressed the button. The control room suddenly felt a little warmer and he quickly stepped outside, spying something sliding open from the corner of his eye. Stashed in an alcove at the side was an incinerator, the same one that Toothless had been cast into.

And then Jack smirked.

**:: I wouldn't bother with that thing. My guess is that touching it will just make your life even worse somehow. ::**

Firing another portal at the wall facing the incinerator, Jack ran towards the one at the stairs and leapt through it, landing right next to the incinerator. Intense heat blasted from the open entrance, causing him to stagger backwards as one arm came up to shield his face.

_Don't you dare pass out, Jack!_

Braving the heat, he quickly tossed the white sphere into the fires below before hopping away, not intending to spend any more time near the incinerator than necessary. The entrance slid shut and almost immediately, the control room shook with a small explosion, sending shockwaves reverberating throughout. Jack stumbled slightly, grabbing onto the wall for support.

**:: You are kidding me. Did you just stuff that Aperture Science Thing We Don't Know What It Does into an Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator? That had got to be the dumbest thing that – whoah. Whoah, whoah, whoah. ::**

MIM's tone changed erratically as she spoke and swung about like a pendulum from the force of the explosion, her voice alternating between high-pitched squeaking and low bass. Destroying the sphere had clearly affected her, and Jack mentally pumped his fist in success.

But the triumphant feeling didn't last long. There was a pause, and what came next was a silky, dark voice that caused the hairs at the back of his neck to stand up.

**:: Good news. I figured out what that thing you just incinerated did. It was a morality core they installed after I flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin to make me stop flooding the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin. So get comfortable while I warm up the neurotoxin emitters. ::**

_Whoops._

Noxious green gas filtered through the vents as six minute timers flashed on the monitor screens on the walls, counting down to however long Jack had left before the amount of neurotoxin he was breathing in started turning fatal.

Below MIM, something slid out of a panel on the floor, mounted on a base. It had a white spherical head attached to a mechanical arm which connected it to the ground. A laser pointer was fixed at its side, emitting a narrow blue beam which pointed right at Jack. There was a beeping sound, and then the machine's green eyepiece turned orange before a rocket shot out from it.

_Holy sh–!_

**:: If you want my advice, you should just lie down in front of a rocket. Trust me, it'll be a lot less painful than the neurotoxin. ::**

Jack cursed and lunged to the side, barely dodging the rocket flying towards him. It impacted against the wall and exploded with a shower of sparks and black smoke, leaving an ugly burn mark behind. The rocket launcher swiveled about, trying to find the white-haired teen with its blue laser. It reminded Jack of a turret, except that there was no deactivating this one with a simple shove.

His mind raced to come up with a plan, and an idea suddenly popped into his head. He fired one portal on the floor below MIM and another at the wall before moving to stand in front of the second one, waiting for the blue light to hit him. Timing was crucial here: he had to make sure that the machine locked onto his position before he moved away, otherwise the rocket would miss his target.

MIM never saw it coming.

It hit her from below, dislodging another core which Jack was quick to pick up. Repeating the earlier procedure while MIM rocked from the explosion, he proceeded to destroy the second core, tossing it into the incinerator.

**:: There was going to be a party for you. A big party that all your friends were invited to. I invited your best friend Green. Of course, he couldn't come because you murdered him. All your other friends couldn't come either because you don't have any other friends. ::**

"Shut up!" Jack yelled angrily, his patience finally snapping from all the taunts. He sent another rocket at MIM, taking somewhat sadistic pleasure at seeing it hit his target. Without missing a beat, he made his way to the switch to incinerate the third core.

**:: What's your point, anyway? Survival? Well then, the last thing you want to do is hurt me. Are you trying to escape? Things have changed since the last time you left the building. What's going on out there will make you wish you were back in here. I'm the only thing standing between us and _them_. ::**

_Screw you. Take this, bitch._

The fourth and final core dropped into the incinerator, causing the biggest explosion yet. The room practically trembled as the lights flickered, and this time Jack saw MIM's body burst with flames and black smoke as the thick wires attached to her body disconnected, swinging limply in the air. Sparks rained down from the ceiling as a gust of wind seemed to come out of nowhere, swirling pieces of debris around the room.

He ducked as a metallic beam flew towards his head and scrambled towards a wall, flattening himself against it. As he pressed against the solid surface, he looked up to see MIM's base disintegrating, spewing electrical discharge into the air while the winds seemed to shape into an indoor tornado.

MIM was no longer speaking coherently, her words fading into noise and random sound bites before cutting off completely. She seemed to implode as the ceiling started to give way, but instead of collapsing inwards, everything started to rise and disappear into a blinding white light.

As much as the white-haired teen struggled to hold on to something sturdy, he was not spared from the strange phenomenon and was lifted into the air, defying gravity as he felt himself getting pulled into the light. The last thing that ran through his mind was that he probably should have thought about his plan a little harder, but then everything turned white and he knew no more.

* * *

When Jack opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on his back, pinned under a piece of debris from the explosion. He craned his neck and glanced downwards, half-expecting to see a sharp pole impaling him and a massive pool of blood or something, but luckily neither of which seemed to be the case.

A burning panel with the acronym 'MIM' on it stared at him from some distance away, and when he twisted his head to the side, he spotted MIM's metallic body lying motionless on the ground, the yellow light in her eyepiece switched off for good. Pieces of burning wreckage from the explosion surrounded them, strewn about and scattered all over the place.

Grunting, he dragged his hands to his sides to push himself up, feeling slightly surprised to find rough gravel under his palms. With a heave, he shoved off the panel sitting on his stomach before slowly getting to his feet. One arm came up to shade his eyes as the bright hot sun bore down on him, and he relished the cooling sensation brought about by a stray breeze, the presence of natural wind shocking him to the fact that he was finally, truly, outside.

A breathy laugh escaped his lips and he took two shaky steps forward, ignoring the hot road pressing into his bare feet. He felt relief swelling in his chest, knowing that the hellish nightmare he had woken up in was finally over. Despite feeling as though all his energy had been spent, sheer exhaustion from the heat and the ordeal he had just endured did nothing to dampen his spirits.

Still, he realized that he would never have survived without somebody's valiant sacrifice, and the thought alone was enough to sober him up. He smiled sadly, wishing that a certain green-eyed brunet could be here to share the moment with him.

"I miss you, Hic…" he whispered, finally letting the tears slide down his cheeks. _I'm sorry I never told you, but I – I lo-_

Then something slammed into the back of his skull, and he barely registered his body crumpling lifelessly to the ground before his world suddenly went black.

* * *

**Author's Note**: And with this, we've reached the end of the first arc. I'm thinking about doing an interlude before the second arc, but I don't know when I'll post the next chapter because classes are starting up again this month, and I also want to take a short break to work on ideas for other fics. Still, do you guys want me to continue?

I know I'm not one of the best writers out there, but thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. I really appreciate all the reviews, favorites and follows, and in turn, I hope you guys are enjoying Hypothesis so far. Please let me know if you feel that there are areas I can improve on, or simply if you have any comments in general.

Till next time :)


	11. Interlude - Running Fish (Part 1)

**Author's Note**: Thank you, thank you so very much for all the support and encouragement. I'm really happy that you guys want to see more of Hypothesis, and I apologize if I took quite a while to get this next chapter up. The interlude was getting rather long, so it'll be done in two parts.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

* * *

**Hypothesis**

Interlude – Running Fish (Part 1)

_Reality is a story the mind tells itself. An artificial structure conjured into being by the calcium ion exchange of a million synaptic firings. A truth so strange it can only be lied into existence. And our minds __can__ lie, never doubt it…_

The man screws the cap shut on the marker pen, staring at fresh scrawls littering a once clean wall. Graphs and percentages decorate the white space, along with crudely drawn portraits of two test subjects clad respectively in green and blue.

Satisfied with his work, he drops the pen and picks up his faithful Companion Cube sitting next to him, scrambling to his feet and scurrying away to another unknown place.

_What's this? Real, or is my mind lying again? Can they truly be awake after all this time? No, just a figment. There's only one of them, and if he were real, the turrets would see him, too._

/ Target acquired. /

Hidden in the shadows, he watches in horror as a white-haired teen lands in the middle of a turret ambush. The bowels of the facility are a dangerous place, containing more death traps than the test chambers, but the boy is quick to react as the red lasers home in on him, firing his blue portals to escape before the torrent of incoming bullets can pierce his flesh and deliver his fate.

_The end is finally upon us._

Convinced that he is the real thing, the man runs towards a secret room behind the walls, bursting past the sign 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' marked on the door as he wrenches open the metal locker with 'DO _NOT_ OPEN' on a piece of paper taped to it. Inside, a bottle with the note 'FOR THE END TIMES' awaits him, and his Companion Cube squeaks in protest behind him when he picks it up.

"Don't do it!" she yells.

"I have to. Please try to understand."

"C'mon, you don't need those anymore. You're _fine_."

He stares at the bottle and shakes his head, quickly twisting the cap open and turning the contents over into his palm. "It's been so long. I've been saving these last two for this day. I'm going to need a clear head for what is to come."

"This will be the end of us," the cube sighs in defeat as he pops the two blue and yellow pills into his mouth and swallows them with a glass of water.

_There are moments when I can almost see the underlying grammar of this place. An impossibility, some mad architect's opus – a relic from an age that never could have been. It's a metastasized amalgam of add-ons, additions and appropriations. Building itself out of itself. Beautiful and terrible – and like anything cloned from a cancer cell, probably immortal._

"Stay to the right! Turrets ahead on your left!" the cube warns from his back.

"Whatever you say," he replies absently, finding himself standing at the dead end of a corridor after running down several empty hallways.

The man finds himself some paint and starts a new piece on the wall, splashing color onto the dull white surface as a picture starts to form. Time escapes him as he immerses himself in his work, and his Companion Cube watches nearby in silence.

"Another mural to mark the occasion," he notes to himself, staring at the final product with a sense of wonder. A lone test subject, dressed in blue and sporting white hair, looks back at him. Except not quite, because his eyes are closed and his portrait appears to be deep in slumber. A can of green paint lies abandoned in a corner, unused.

"Where is the boy now?" the cube asks.

"On his way to the final chamber," he says, lifting his head from his arms on his knees as he sits at the base of the wall for a quick rest.

"You mean with… _her_? He doesn't have a chance. Not alone." Hesitation and doubt are clear in her voice, expressing uncharacteristic worry.

The man stands up to retrieve a folder of personnel files on a small side table, opening it up to a familiar page with the words "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III" printed on top. Frowning solemnly, he picks up the small stack of papers attached to the page and slides it behind another set of papers, the one with "Jackson Overland Frost" on it.

"It would have been better if they had both survived, but he has more than a chance than you think."

A sudden explosion rocks the room and cuts off the lights, sending the man and his shrieking cube to the ground. The papers in his hand spill over, scattering everywhere. When the lights come on again, he digs himself out of the rubble to find that his painting is still intact.

"What was that?" he gasps, whirling around to see his Companion Cube lying across the small room. He races towards her in panic and picks her up. "Are you okay?"

"The room shook itself to pieces."

"Like an unbalanced centrifuge," he sighs in relief, cradling the cube in his arms.

"I heard an explosion. What could it mean?"

"Only one thing it _can_ mean."

He grabs the discarded folder of papers and races towards the control room, climbing ladders and stairs to reach the heart of the facility. What he finds is a mangled wreck of what used to be the metallic creature that had hunted him down for years, her body all charred and black with disconnected wires hanging limply by the sides.

Dead at last.

"He did it. It's over," the man marvels at the sight, laughing with delight. "The ultimate systems crash."

* * *

"_It's been a hell of a morning. You missed all the fun," his colleague grinned from the edge of the platform under their latest project. "We had to hit the kill switch again."_

"_Henry, you have a strange idea of fun," he murmured softly, making his way up the steps to stand next to him. He stared uneasily at the plastic yellow eyepiece of the deactivated AI, hanging from the ceiling just inches away from his face._

"_Hey, we're lucky to be working on this."_

_Crossing his arms, he leaned back against the railing of the platform. "You've got a strange idea of luck, too."_

"_Think about it," his colleague continued, ignoring the jab. "Every generation gets some new frontier to tackle. Einstein got relativity. The NASA cowboys got the moon. All the easy stuff is taken. I mean take a look around you, we're on the bleeding edge here. Artificial consciousness is the next frontier."_

"_But every time we turn it on, it takes a sixteenth of a picosecond before it tries to kill us."_

"_Last time was a tenth of a picosecond. See, we're making progress. I'm telling you, this is our generation's moon shot."_

"_I'd rather have gone to the moon," he whispered, unheard._

* * *

"Where's the boy? He didn't stay to check out his handiwork?" the cube asked.

"He must have gotten out. Probably on the surface, soaking up some sun."

"I'm sure you're right. What is this 'sun' of which you speak?"

"And he has the right idea. Come on, we're wasting daylight," the man hefts his Companion Cube onto his back and starts making his way towards the exit.

"Watch out for the turrets. The queen may be dead, but this hornet's nest has been kicked."

He bursts through a set of double doors and into the outside world, screeching to a stop as bright sunlight blinds his vision. Basking in its natural glory, he lets out a happy cry of "Freedom!" as the cube on his back squeaks "My eyes! _My eyes!_"

But the euphoria is short-lived as a metallic whirring sound reaches his ears.

"Shh, I hear something," he whispers, moving to duck behind a smoking piece of wreckage.

"Quick, get down before it sees you!" the cube warns as he peers over the top. In the distance, he spots the Party Associate Escort Bot standing over a body with one of its arms raised.

/ Thank you for assuming the party escort submission position. /

Reaching down, the robot grabs the unconscious Jack's shoulders and pulls him backwards, creating a grating sound as his jumpsuit slides unevenly against the rough road.

"No! It's dragging him back inside," the man gasps in realization.

* * *

"_Hey Gil, can I get a hand here?"_

"_Uh, sure."_

_His colleague held out a core with its eyepiece removed, exposing the inner circuitry. "Just reach inside past all those gears and turn on the power supply," he instructed, stopping him when his hand approached the core. "Wait a sec. Safety first. Are you right handed or left?"_

"_Right."_

"_Better use your left then."_

"_Why?"_

"_Just in case."_

_Power supply switched on, he proceeded to ask the obvious. "What is that thing, anyway?"_

"_Just the latest in AI inhibition technology," Henry replied proudly. "You can think of it as a conscience."_

"_If that's all you use to control her, it won't be enough," he warned._

"_Why's that?"_

"_You can always ignore your conscience."_

* * *

"You don't have to go back in there."

"I can't just walk away."

"You're right. Walking is too slow. Run away."

"Running is what I've _been_ doing. Running and hiding."

"It's why you're still alive. You're not a hero. Heroes die."

"You don't understand. It's my fault he's down there. I'm not leaving him. I would have been trapped forever if not for him."

"Listen, it's too dangerous. You're going to get killed."

"So be it. But I'm done running. I have to at least try to save him."

"Then you really are crazy," the cube mutters as the man climbs back down the hole, returning to the facility.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Credit goes to Valve for the content of this chapter and the next, which is taken from the online Portal comic: "Lab Rat", bridging the events between Portal and Portal 2.


	12. Interlude - Running Fish (Part 2)

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the wait. College is killing me here D:

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon or Portal/Portal 2.

* * *

**Hypothesis**

Interlude – Running Fish (Part 2)

"I'm not feeling so good. Those pills you took… I think the medicine is starting to work," the Companion Cube on his back moans weakly, her voice becoming fainter and fainter with each word. "Soon you won't need me anymore."

"I'll always need you," the man assures her, racing across rooms and climbing up stairs towards his destination.

"I don't think you will."

"No," he breathes in horror, half because the cube's voice has been reduced to a weak whisper, half because he has arrived and he does not like what he is seeing.

Jack lies motionless on a bed under a set of blankets, sleeping inside an artificially constructed room. He is oblivious to the haggard face staring at him through the 'window', watching helplessly outside the prison caging him.

"They're already put him in long-term relaxation!" the man exclaims, racking his mind for a plan. "I need to get up to cyro-control, but turrets block the way."

He races towards the control unit mounted on the wall several corridors down and practically wrenches its cover open, attempting to fiddle with its settings.

_His cyro-chamber… Something's wrong. Life support has been compromised. The explosion blew the main grid. His cyro-chamber is off-line. All the cyro-chambers are off-line!_

The revelation does not bode well. If he fails to send power to Jack's cyro-chamber in time, not only will he be unable to free him, but the test subject will also die before long. After coming all this way to save him, he knows that there is no turning back now.

_I'm only gonna get one chance. I have to cross the room… Get past the turrets, jump the rail… Then dive left or right to avoid being shot._

"Okay, do I dive left or right?" he asks once he has reached the critical point, hiding behind a wall with a mini army of live turrets on the other side.

The Companion Cube on his back is silent and still.

"Hello? You still back there?"

No response.

"Left or right? Don't make me guess! I'm running out of time."

He had to move. Now.

"Well, ready or not…" he murmurs, breaking into a run. He had to try to get into the safety of the next corridor just beyond the reach of the turrets in the room, and in a split-second decision, he lunges to the left.

The turrets open fire.

Something pierces through his right thigh and he collapses to the ground, skidding past the danger zone. The Companion Cube on his back is flung in front of him and he reaches desperately for it, but the excruciating pain in his leg overwhelms him and he starts to see black spots dancing in his vision.

_Must…_

_Stay…_

_Conscious…_

* * *

**_:: The Enrichment Center would like to announce a new employee initiative of forced voluntary participation. If any Aperture Science employee would like to opt out of this new voluntary testing program, please remember, science rhymes with compliance. Do you know what doesn't rhyme with compliance? Neurotoxin. ::_**

_MIM chimed from her perch in the control room, overseeing the operations of the facility. Her security cameras, etched on every visible surface behind every wall, swiveled about as they searched for their target._

**_:: Due to high mortality rates, you may be reluctant to participate in the new initiative. The Enrichment Center assures you this is a strictly selfish impulse on your part, and why can't you love science like [insert co-worker's name here]? ::_**

_Corpses littered the floor and the observation deck with thousands more bodies of men and women alike, those who had literally dropped dead with the fatal poison running through their systems, strewn outside the control room. _

_MIM had been very pleased to know that the main venting system had been working as it should, allowing the neurotoxin to flood every corner of the facility. _

**_:: And now there's just you. All the others are dead. You've avoided capture for weeks. What makes you so different? Ahh… Delusions of persecution, pathological paranoia; it's all right here in your file. Have you refilled your prescription lately? ::_**

_Gil Fisher, the slippery man who had managed to escape capture and evade death, dubbed 'the fish with legs' (or more commonly 'Fishlegs'), scurried towards the ladder at the end of the hallway._

_"Bite me," he snapped at the AI, climbing down to the next level below._

**_:: Schizophrenia is a culturally bound phenomenon. Its pattern of expression is filtered through the cultural substrate in which its symptoms develop. In technological societies, this manifests as delusions of surveillance and a belief that advanced technology is deployed against you, usually with some vague unseen 'other' out to get you. ::_**

_"You're not vague. You're pretty damn specific," came the retort as he jumped down the last few steps, sprinting down another corridor._

**_:: If you continue to selfishly evade me, it's not going to reflect well in your file. ::_**

_"Of course! The files!" With a squeak of his shoes on the polished floor, he abruptly changed direction and ran towards his new destination._

**_:: I can't see you, but I know you're in there. Is it just a coincidence that you've been diagnosed with schizophrenia and now believe that a homicidal computer is out to get you? Come on, how likely is that? ::_**

_He burst through the vent near the ceiling and landed nimbly on his feet, quickly scanning his surroundings for turrets before dusting himself off._

**_:: I mean really, you're a scientist. What is more likely, that you're being chased by a homicidal computer, or that this is all just the paranoid delusion of an unstable mind? Why not come out of there, and you'll see. None of this is real. ::_**

_Rushing towards the cabinet at the other end of the room (taking care to sidestep the body of a deceased colleague on the way), he pulled the drawers open and began rifling through the stacks of papers and folders._

**_:: I'd ask you to think outside the box on this, but it's obvious your box is broken. And has schizophrenia. Speaking of boxes… Do you know that thought experiment with the cat in the box with the poison? Theory requires the cat be both alive and dead until observed. Well, I actually performed the experiment. Dozens of times. The bad news is that reality doesn't exist. The good news is that we have a new cat graveyard. ::_**

_His hands trembled as his eyes scanned the data reports, frantically searching for the information he needed._

**_:: Why are you in the file room anyway? What could you possibly be doing? ::_**

_"Yes! These are the ones!" he exclaimed in success, pulling out two folders of papers and running towards the nearest computer._

**_:: In the event you don't survive the testing process, DNA may be harvested from your body – with your consent – and used to create clones in the furtherance of science. Failure to survive the testing process shall be viewed as granting consent. Also, clones don't have souls. Just so you know. Like twins. ::_**

_It has to be them, he thought with determination, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he typed furiously to change the Test Subject Order File._

_The names 'Jackson Overland Frost' and 'Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III' were moved to the top of the list._

* * *

His eyes flutter open to the sight of his Companion Cube sitting in front of him. One hand feebly reaches towards it, but it falls limp as the darkness drags him under again.

* * *

**_:: Since the installation of my new morality core, I've lost all interest in killing. Now I only crave science. ::_**

_"I'm pleased to hear that," Henry grinned, probing at the wiring in a circuit board._

**_:: I find myself drawn to the study of consciousness. There's an experiment I'd like to perform during 'Bring Your Cat to Work Day'. ::_**

_"Wonderful!"_

**_:: I'll have the box and the cats. Now I just need one more thing. ::_**

_"What's that?"_

**_:: …A little neurotoxin. ::_**

_"Well, as long as it's for science," he said, smiling at the AI hanging above him._

_So caught up was Henry in the success of the morality core that he missed the way Gil, working at the table nearby, shot MIM a horrified look of realization._

* * *

"How long have I been out?" he asks, opening his eyes to see his faithful companion next to him.

"Long enough," the cube replies.

"You're back."

"I never left you," she chides gently. "There's something I wanted to ask. How did you know about the boys?"

"Know what?"

"That they were the ones."

"Something in their files."

"They had the highest IQ?"

"No, some were higher."

"Then they were the fastest? The most athletic?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Then what?"

"A hunch."

"There's only one left, but you might still be able to save him."

"What?" he gasps in disbelief, pushing himself up. "How? I can't get to his cyro-chamber."

"You can't free him, but you might save him," the cube would be shaking her head if she had one. "You can patch his cyro-unit into the reserve grid."

Gil Fisher crawls towards the control unit and pulls himself up, reaching for the switches and buttons mounted on it.

"You can reset the fuses and restart his life support. If it's not too late already."

"But even if it works, there will be no wake-up date," he murmurs solemnly, pulling up the log of cyro-chambers on the monitor screen to locate the one Jack was trapped in. "He'll be in there indefinitely. So it's the long sleep… or the long sleep. And I don't know which is worse."

Looking through the list of most recently accessed cyro-chambers, he easily identifies the one that comes out on top as Jack's, no surprise there. But the date logged in the row immediately below Jack's entry causes him to pause, and a sad smile crosses his face as he writes the code to reroute power into the cyro-chambers.

"Forgive me," he whispers and presses the final button, watching the screen light up in confirmation that the life support system has come online. "It worked!"

Elsewhere, air begins to flow into the relaxation vault, ruffling Jack's white hair in a gentle caress. His chest starts to rise and fall periodically again as he exhales with a breathy sigh, not once stirring in his slumber.

"Sleep well… both of you."

_Both alive and dead, until someone opens the box._

"Maybe it's time I slept too. I'm so tired now," he slurs, crawling towards a relaxation pod.

"You've earned a rest," the Companion Cube agrees, allowing him to step on her to climb inside.

"You see Astrid, I told you I would always need you," Fishlegs smiles, letting his eyes close as the glass cover slides shut, sending him into a deep sleep with his faithful cube sitting dutifully outside.

An abandoned folder of papers lies scattered on the floor nearby with some of its contents spilling out. Two notable sheets have graph charts on them, warning against using two particular specimens for future tests. The proctor's report is short and concise, and the data in the graph is telling.

Outlier Report  
Tenacity Level: Abnormal  
REJECTED. DO NOT TEST.

* * *

**Author's Note**: And that concludes the interlude. Sorry if it's really vague or confusing, but I hope to be able to tie up loose ends and explain more in the second arc. If anyone has any questions or anything, feel free to leave a review/PM me and I'll either respond directly, or collate the questions and post a sub-chapter to address them.

See you guys next time!


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